
US-Iran strikes: Tehran admits nuclear facilities were 'seriously damaged'; Trump warns 'will do it again, if necessary'
Speaking to Fox News' Special Report, Araghchi admitted that Tehran's enrichment programme had been halted after three major sites were targeted on 22 June, under orders from US President Donald Trump.
'Our facilities have been damaged, seriously damaged, the extent of which is now under evaluation,' Araghchi told host Bret Baier.
'The facilities have been destroyed.'
President Trump quickly reacted to the remarks, saying he was proven right in a post on Truth Social.
'Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, on the Iran Nuclear Sites: 'Damages are very severe, they are destroyed.'
"Of course they are, just like I said, and we will do it again, if necessary!" he said.
The US President further went on to demand an apology from CNN, accusing the network of downplaying the effectiveness of the strikes and calling for the sacking of one of its journalists.
"As interviewed by Bret Baier. Fake News CNN should immediately fire their phony 'reporter' and apologize to me and the great pilots who 'OBLITERATED' Iran's nuclear sites. CNN is a major ratings loser, as is MSDNC!"
The Iranian minister added that the country had not been able to refine nuclear fuel since the airstrikes, but stressed the country would not abandon its nuclear ambitions, which he insisted were for 'peaceful purposes.'
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Citadel by Mahindra – Homes with a Modern Edge
Mahindra Citadel
Enquire Now
Undo
'It is now stopped because, yes, damages are serious and severe, but obviously we cannot give up our enrichment,' he said. 'It is an achievement of our own scientists."
"And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride,' the minister further added.
Araghchi also highlighted Tehran's firm stance ahead of any potential talks with Washington. He ruled out accepting any nuclear agreement that restricts domestic uranium enrichment, calling it a 'matter of dignity for the Iranian people.'
'If the goal is to make sure that Iran will never have nuclear weapons, that is achievable,' he said. 'But if the goal is to deprive Iran from its rights, including the right of enrichment, I think we have, we have difficulty,' New York Post cited Araghchi.
Despite the destruction of several key sites, Araghchi insisted Iran retained the technical knowledge and personnel needed to resume enrichment in the future.
'Buildings can be rebuilt.
Facilities can be rebuilt. Machines can be replaced,' he said. 'The technology is there.'
When asked whether Iran's existing stockpile of enriched uranium had survived the strikes, he said he had 'no detailed information.'
Araghchi also rejected any suggestion that Tehran would scale back its ballistic missile programme or withdraw support for regional proxy groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.
'They are fighting for a just cause, and we have always supported them,' he said.
'On our missiles, as I said, that is our most reliable means of defense.'
'How we can disarm ourselves? Who can [Iran] accept anything like that?'
The foreign minister did leave the door open to renewed diplomacy but ruled out direct talks with the Trump administration for the time being.
'If they are coming for a win-win solution, I am ready to engage with them,' he said.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
14 minutes ago
- First Post
Were Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump friends? After birthday card, now wedding photo haunts Potus
Disgraced American financier Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump once had the same social circle. Now, new images from the US president's 1993 wedding to Marla Maples proves that they were not just acquaintances. These new visuals emerge just a week after a news report stated that the American leader had sent the financier a racy card for his 50th birthday read more Commuters walk past a bus stop near Nine Elms Station as activists put up a poster showing President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein near the US Embassy in London. AP Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced American financier who was accused of running a sex trafficking ring of underage girls, died in 2019. But his death has turned into a nightmare for US President Donald Trump, who has come under intense scrutiny for his ties with the convicted felon. Now, even as many Americans demand for more disclosures from the Epstein Files, CNN has uncovered archived video footage and photos about Trump's past relationship with Epstein. Notably, this comes at a very difficult time for the US president — just last week, the Wall Street Journal published a report in which it stated that Trump had sent a card to Epstein for his 50th birthday, featuring a sketch of a naked woman and a typed note that read, 'Happy Birthday, and may every day be another wonderful secret.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Epstein spotted at Trump's wedding In December 1993, Donald Trump, then a wealthy business tycoon, tied the knot with American singer and television personality Marla Maples. The two exchanged their 'I dos' at a grand function at New York's Plaza Hotel. Now, 30 years later, CNN has accessed archival images from the event which show Jeffrey Epstein in attendance. High-society photographer Dafydd Jones, who was present at the wedding and tasked with taking photos, told CNN that among the photos he took was one of Epstein entering the event. 'I wish now I took more of him with Trump,' he told the American media outlet. 'I had the job of photographing the Trump wedding, so I stood with the press and photographed him. The image you have is from the contact sheet — the negatives were lost.' NEW via CNN / @KFILE: Newly uncovered archived video footage and photos reveal fresh details about Donald Trump's past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Photos from 1993 confirm for the first time that Epstein attended Trump's 1993 wedding to Marla Maples. In addition,… — MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) July 22, 2025 Another photo, this time from the LIFE's archives, shows Epstein smiling in the background — his head is just visible as other attendees take a group picture. CNN's Andrew Kaczynski, whose team uncovered the images, told OutFront of the new reporting, 'Although we know that Trump and Epstein were friends during this period, this is really the first time that it's actually been reported that Trump invited Epstein to his wedding.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD When CNN asked the now US president about the wedding images, he replied: 'You've got to be kidding me,' adding that CNN was 'fake news' and then hung up. Later, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a statement, 'These are nothing more than out-of-context frame grabs of innocuous videos and pictures of widely attended events to disgustingly infer something nefarious. 'The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep. This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media.' Trump, Epstein and Victoria's Secret Adding to the heaping pile of evidence of their close friendship are visuals from a 1999 Victoria's Secret fashion show in New York. The video shows the US president and financier laughing and chatting ahead of the runway event. A person walks by an image of US President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, along with the words 'President Trump: Release All the Epstein Files', projected onto the US Department of Commerce headquarters in Washington, DC. AFP Trump's birthday wish to Epstein CNN's reporting follows a bombshell report last week from The Wall Street Journal describing a birthday card Trump was said to have sent Epstein for his 50th birthday. The US media outlet stated that Trump told Epstein in the card, 'May every day be another wonderful secret.' It also featured lines of typewritten text framed by a drawing of a naked woman, with Trump's name signed below the woman's waist. The president denied to the Journal that he wrote the letter or drew the picture. 'I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women,' he told the Journal. 'It's not my language. It's not my words.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Later, he also sued the publication, seeking at least $20 billion in compensation. Trump's legal team accused the Journal's parent company of engaging in 'glaring failures in journalistic ethics and standards of accurate reporting.' Many of his supporters such as far-right influencer Laura Loomer also called the letter 'totally fake.' She wrote on X: 'Everyone who actually knows President Trump knows he doesn't type letters. He writes notes in big black Sharpie.' Parties, private jets and a 'terrific guy' The images uncovered by CNN and the previous reporting by Wall Street Journal are just latest on the friendship that Trump and Epstein once shared. In fact, it is reported that the two first met around the time Trump bought Mar-a-Lago in 1985, when Epstein was also living in Palm Beach. Since then, the pair have been pictured together at various events and social dos. A display of their close ties was when Trump flew on Epstein's private jet at least seven times during the 1990s, according to flight logs presented in court and cited by US media. The US president has denied this, and in 2024 said he was 'never on Epstein's plane'. In a 2002, Trump even told New York Magazine that Epstein was a 'terrific guy'. 'He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side,' Trump said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD People holds signs calling for the release of files regarding late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. File image/AFP A falling out However, the friendship between Epstein and Trump wasn't to last. Speaking in July 2019, just days after Epstein was charged with sex trafficking, Trump was eager to clarify that there pair were no longer friends – and hadn't been for quite some time. 'I had a falling out with him,' said the US president. 'I haven't spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you.' But what caused a souring in their friendship? It was a property deal. In 2004, a Palm Beach property came up for grabs — an oceanfront mansion called Maison de l'Amitie, or the House of Friendship. The property was being sold as a result of its previous owner Abe Gosman's bankruptcy, and according to a Washington Post report, both Epstein and Trump were keen to get their hands on it. What ensued was an outright bidding war between the two men for the estate, which Trump eventually won. But it left a sour taste in Trump's mouth and the two went their separate ways. Trump even claimed that barred Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago estate, and the pair were never photographed together again. 'He's a real creep, I banned him," Trump is reported to have told his former aide, Sam Nunberg. Trump's Epstein Files saga continues Since coming to office, it seems that the Epstein files have become a noose around Trump's neck. Earlier this month, the US Justice Department claimed that there is no evidence that Epstein maintained a 'client list' that named or implicated others in alleged sex crimes. This has angered many of Trump's core followers, including Tucker Carlson and former 'First Buddy' Elon Musk. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Amid this ongoing controversy, the Justice Department announced that it is in touch with an attorney for Ghislaine Maxwell, a long time associate of Epstein, to try to arrange a meeting with her in the coming days. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the plan on social media, saying that the department is seeking any information from Maxwell — who is serving time for sex trafficking — as part of its quest to uncover 'all credible evidence' in the Epstein case. With inputs from agencies


Indian Express
14 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Photos from 1993 show Jeffrey Epstein attending Trump's wedding amid scrutiny over ties
In a surprising revelation, newly discovered photographs and videos shed spotlight on the longstanding ties between US President Donald Trump and deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as the latter is seen attending the former's wedding to Marla Maples in 1993, CNN reported. Not only this, the duo could be seen laughing and chatting with each other, CNN reported citing a footage from a 1999 Victoria's Secret fashion event in New York. A review of archival video of Trump at events in the 1990s and 2000s by CNN's KFile helped uncover the raw footage of the event. The revelations come amid increased scrutiny over the relationship between Trump and Epstein as the former's base of Make America Great Again (MAGA) supporters expressed furore over the release of Epstein files, while criticizing Attorney General Pam Bondi for her stance against the same, and for staying away from transparency in the matter. A letter sent by the White House Communications Director Steven Cheung to CNN stated, 'These are nothing more than out-of-context frame grabs of innocuous videos and pictures of widely attended events to disgustingly infer something nefarious.' 'The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep. This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media,' the letter read. Photographer at Trump's wedding Trump and Epstein is believed to have met around 1990, which entailed regular interactions between them in Palm Beach and New York. According to a report by NBC News in 2019, footage of a party showed Trump socializing with Epstein in 1992. In October 1993, photographer Dafydd Jones took photos at the opening of the Harley Davidson Cafe in New York, capturing Trump and Epstein together. Just two months later, in December that year, Jones was assigned by a media organization to photograph Trump's wedding. One of the photographs he took then was that of Epstein entering the event, CNN described. Another photograph accessed by CNN showed Epstein smiling in the background — his head just visible between other guests who were posing for a group picture. LIFE's collection of photos of Trump's wedding are available online over Google Images and Shutterstock, and a CNN review found multiple photographs with Epstein. Duo at fashion events and private jets The duo could also be seen in photographs dated back to 1999, as per the CNN report. Before this, they were spotted then at a Victoria's Secret 'Angels' party in Manhattan in 1997. Epstein's presence at the party reflects his ties with the founder of the lingerie company Leslie H. Wexner, a billionaire businessman who handed Epstein sweeping power over his finances, philanthropy and private life within years of meeting him, the New York Times highlighted. BREAKING! Holy crap! CNN just released exclusive new video of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein hanging out at the 1999 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, as well as images of Epstein at Trump's second wedding. No wonder why Trump is trying to deflect with Obama claims — Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) July 22, 2025 Describing his association with Epstein, Trump, in 2002, told the New York magazine, 'I've known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy.' Over four years in the 1990s, Trump flew on Epstein's Boeing 727 at least seven times, largely traveling between Palm Beach and a private airport in Teterboro, New Jersey, just outside New York, the NYT mentioned. Scrutiny over ties between Trump and Epstein Trump and Epstein went separate ways after a falling-out around 2004, taking significantly different paths — one toward jail and suicide, the other towards the White House. In 2019, Epstein was arrested and charged with federal sex-trafficking offenses, after prosecutors accused him of engaging in sex with teenage girls between 2002 and 2005. The offender killed himself in New York jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial. While his death has ruled a suicide, a wave of conspiracy theories emerged due to his well-documented connections to famous and powerful public figures. Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with the Epstein case, and has so far stood by his statement that he had 'no idea' that Epstein was abusing young women. The US President, who is facing growing backlash over suspicions that his administration is shielding powerful names tied to the convicted sex offender, insisted he supports releasing any 'credible' information, The Indian Express reported. Last week, Trump, sued the publishers of the Wall Street Journal and its owners, including Rupert Murdoch seeking $10 billion in damages over a report about a collection of letters gifted to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003, which had a note bearing President Donald Trump's name and a sexually suggestive drawing.


News18
38 minutes ago
- News18
Jeffrey Epstein Seen In Archived Pics At Trump's Wedding And Events With His Children
Last Updated: Archival photos show Jeffrey Epstein at Donald Trump's 1993 wedding and events with Trump and his children in the 1990s. Newly uncovered archival photos showed Jeffrey Epstein attending Donald Trump's 1993 wedding to Marla Maples, as well as appearing alongside Donald Trump and his children, Ivanka and Eric, at multiple public events in the 1990s. The images- surfaced by CNN's KFile during a review of decades-old footage- provide previously unreported documentation of Jeffrey Epstein's presence at key moments in Donald Trump's social and public life. One photo, taken by society photographer Dafydd Jones, captures Jeffrey Epstein entering the Plaza Hotel in December 1993 for Donald Trump's wedding. Another shows Donald Trump posing with a young Ivanka and Eric Trump at the opening of the Harley Davidson Cafe in New York in October that same year while Jeffrey Epstein is seen standing beside them. Jeffrey Epstein also appeared in video footage from a 1999 Victoria's Secret fashion show, laughing and chatting with Donald Trump ahead of the runway event. The pair were also photographed at a 1997 Victoria's Secret party in New York. Donald Trump's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein reportedly began in the 1980s and included socializing at events in Palm Beach and New York. Though Donald Trump later distanced himself from Jeffrey Epstein- claiming he banned him from Mar-a-Lago in the mid-2000s- the photos offer a clearer timeline of their past proximity. Jeffrey Epstein was first investigated for alleged sexual abuse of underage girls in 2005 and later arrested on federal sex trafficking charges in 2019. He died in jail that year in what was ruled a suicide. His associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence. No law enforcement authority has accused Donald Trump of any criminal wrongdoing in connection with Jeffrey Epstein. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung dismissed the images in a statement, calling them 'out-of-context frame grabs" and accusing the media of 'disgustingly" trying to infer something nefarious. Steven Cheung said, 'The President kicked him out of his club for being a creep. This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media." view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.